Reddit reviews Well-Trained Mind, The

I don't think you are too unusual. Most schools today are pretty awful from a social standpoint (bullying, drugs, violence, etc.) and often mediocre at best from an academic standpoint.

Unschooling is just one way to homeschool. I'd suggest reading The Well-Trained Mind and see how that inspires you.

Hi OP. Former homeschool parent here. Let me assure you, you aren't out of time. You actually have quite a lot of options. The thing I know about A.C.E. is it isn't rigorous. You can quickly regurgitate questions as necessary to keep your parents happy. That's good news because it gives you time to catch up on curriculum necessities as well as delve into topics of interest that will make you stand out to colleges when you do apply.

I'm going to throw out a bunch of ideas, starting with a few books you can look for in your local library (look for library exchanges for more options). The first is the Well Trained Mind. It's reading heavy so if you like reading, this will be a good guide for that (just don't think you're supposed to do everything suggested - it's like homeschooling on steroids and meant to be a guide to pick and choose). The author hosts a homeschool forum that is free to join (here). While there are a lot of bible thumpers there, a lot are not. Also, there are a lot of people which increases your chances of finding someone who is very familiar with a topic of interest for you, be it astronomy, snakes, Lord of the Rings, etc.

Another book I would recommend looking through is called Guerilla Learning. It's a bit optimistic, not gonna lie, but you might find some ways of accessing academic or unusual skills in ways that appeal to you and you can do in your spare time. This is also good for developing a unique skill or craft or hobby to appeal to colleges. To this end, look for colleges that have separate applications for home educated students. You might get some good ideas seeing what others have done. Keep in mind they show off the most impressive people, so don't think you have to create a series of chainmail outfits for the local SCA in order to catch someone's attention!

Khan Academy is kind of the state of the art online resource for academic subjects. Each video is short and explains one concept clearly and concisely. I think it's a great resource for catching up or getting to understand subjects you don't feel confident in. You can also look at your state's public school curriculum scope and sequence guide to know what subjects you should be familiar with. Again, don't get overwhelmed by the sheer volume of subjects. Home education is about doing things your way, and standing out.

Look at community colleges and high school continuing ed and libraries in your area. Many of them offer general ed classes, some offer GED classes. Many community colleges offer classes to high school students. You might also do a search for homeschool classes in your area. For example, some of my kids took accredited science labs from a licensed educator. I recognize these would require your parent's approval.

Lastly, if you cannot do these things while you're in school, I would encourage you to develop a skill you can learn at home that will give you an income sufficient to living independently once you're 18 (if not sooner, if you can work that out). Find a skill you can convince your parents god is putting in your heart, and by the time you're 18 you should be able to be working full time or close to it (working in restaurant, sewing, woodworking, blacksmith, programing, etc). Save your money in a bank account your parents do not know about or they may remove money thinking it's in your best interest. Once you've saved up some money and are living independently, look to your community college to catch up. Don't fall for the old story that you have to be enrolled in college by the time you're 18. That's increasingly falling by the wayside, and for good reason. I've known people who have taken one or two classes per semester, as they can afford it, and people who have found alternative work, and people who worked for decades before taking college classes. People find what works for them.

I would suggest you take this semester to make a plan. Allow yourself these next few months to do the research necessary, figure out how much you can learn on your own, how much you can do from home and what you have to do outside home. Just take this time to learn. Think of it as a recon mission. Just gather information. Slowly but surely you'll discover what's going to work best for you.

Good luck friend. I think you got this. I believe in you.

Edit: Oh duh! I just remembered a resource that is probably much better suited for you! Recovering from Religion will have much more information and people who have been right where you are. I would start there. You're not alone.